Proverbs Study

Proverbs 1:3 gives us the next components in the purpose of Proverbs.

The NIV says, “for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;”

The King James probably provides the better translation in this instance. “To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;”

Now first notice it says, “to receive”. That’s important. Because, (I’ve alluded to this, but I haven’t actually stated it.), No one has wisdom by nature. We’ve already seen that it comes either by experience - (Someone has said, if we ignore the past we condemn ourselves to repeat its mistakes.)

Or we get it through the study of scripture, and especially the book of Proverbs. Either way, it is something we receive as a gift, but it’s not something we’re born with.

Ok what is it we receive? "Instruction”. Now that’s the same word we saw in verse :2 – but instruction in what? Notice four things.

1. “Wisdom” Now this is slightly different from the wisdom in verse :2 (chokma) (which is the ability to use knowledge to solve life problems). This is (saw-kal') which might be better translated, “Wise dealing”. This is active wisdom. See you can have wisdom but not use it. This word implies action. It’s wisdom put into practice. It’s like common sense in decision-making. Maybe the best word to describe this attribute would be “decisiveness”. Here’s person who doesn’t second guess his decisions. That’s what this is. Proverbs teach us to be decisive.

2. “justice” Better “righteousness”. Now remember that there are two kinds of righteousness. We’ve discussed this before. There is positional righteousness that we receive by faith in Christ. It is when He takes our sin and gives us his position of righteousness with God. The second kind of righteousness is personal righteousness, or righteous acts. That’s what is being described here.

This is personal conduct that conforms to a relationship. Here the relationship is to the covenant law of God. So this righteousness refers to active obedience to the law. (Of course this was written during the Old Testament period when the only written part of the Bible they had was the law.) So for us this word would mean, active obedience to the Word of God – the Bible.

Notice it is “active” obedience. Not just knowledge of the Word. Not just an understanding of it. Romans 2:13 says, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”

Its God’s will for us to know the Word of God, but we must also act upon that knowledge.

3. “judgment” Now like “rightousness” is a better translation of the last word than“justice”, here, “justice” is probably a better translation than “judgement”.

“Righteousness” has to do with our relationship to God. “Justice” has to do with our relationship to man. And this word has to do not only with our conduct in obedience to God, but our conduct with respect to others. Our moral behavior. This is, “How to maintain an upright posture in a fallen world”. (I don’t remember who said that. – I wish I had.)

There is much in Proverbs about guarding our morality. And it centers on the existence of absolutes. There is such a thing as good and evil right and wrong. It is based on a divinely established moral order.

4. “equity” “Equity” means “straight, level or even”. This is a word that still even in modern English carries a similar meaning, even though it has shifted somewhat even in the last few decades. Let me give you and illustration. If someone is a criminal, one colloquialism we use of such a person is a “crook” or we say they are “crooked”.

30 years ago if a person didn’t drink or use drugs he was said to be “straight”. That’s changed in our contemporary culture. Today if a person is a heterosexual, he is said to be “straight”. All together, that’s the meaning here. Conduct that is straight forward.

Now let me make one final observation about this verse. All of these elements in the purpose of Proverbs exist as a part of a lifestyle, and not just independent actions. What I mean is that these qualities are to become so much a part of our character, that they don’t require contemplation. They are to become “second nature” to us so that we use them almost unconsciously.

When I was in the Navy I had a friend who was from the Philippines. He had learned Karate as a child and had practiced it all his life. So his reflexes were so highly tuned that it was almost impossible to catch him off guard and strike him. Any punch or kick toward him (even if he was not expecting it) was immediately blocked – defended, and an appropriate offensive response set in motion.

That’s the picture here spiritually. The purpose of Proverbs is to teach us and train us and tune us spiritually so that instantly, instinctively we will react and respond Biblically to whatever life throws at us.